Thread: Was I wrong? The Agent wrong? Or us both?

Ok, looking for some advice/reccomendations/suggestions... critique if you feel it necessary.

My group had a 3 dancer performance. 2 sets with gap. My terms/booking form are quite thorough. I have a notification of additional charges if events run over 30 mins late-theoretically can't be missed.

Anyway. The day before, I get the itinery for the function- on which we are put down with an hour-ten gap between sets. When we agreed charges, they were for a 35min gap, no more. I politely pointed this out and asked that the 'oversight' be remedied. As answer, and I quote : ' No, just leave it as it is'. No offer to make good the money either. I let it go, figuring its a new agent, not worth the drama...

We arrive. She is 'too busy' to meet us outside when I phone to inform her of our arrival, we must just go find her. Annoying, yet i can also see it if there are lots of last min things to sort out, and we are well able to organise ourselves, just was a little dismissive a greeting. In I go. 'So, where will we be waiting?'. 'Won't the bathrooom do?' And yet, there on our terms and conditions it clearly states there must be a room provided out of the way of guests if there is a long gap between sets to wait. Anyways, reluctantly, with a heaved sigh, she sorts us a room.

Alas, despite me handing the DJ the 1st CD 20 mins in advance- he doesn't test! And this hasto be the one time it won't read! Which made me feel un-pro, but really, we had backups... had anyone found out there was a problem timeously. But eventually we perform our set, and go back. We get to our scheduled second performance time and it passes. In the meantime, we were offered no communication- they didn't even tell us they wanted us for the first set!. I had to SMS, of all things [since the woman proved impossible to locate without wandering very obviously through this function] to ask! No water, not a thought for if we were ok... but really, though it is courteous no one said they had to, so wah for us.

I sms again asking if we could possibly be shuffled in a little earlier as one of my dancers had another performance and we were running late. Another curt
reply 'Sorry, no. At least another 15 min.' Managed to reschedule that second performance- luckily we are well known by that client and he was happy to do so- and we wait. At last she sticks her head around door. As is my policy, I inform her, as politely as I know how, that very soon our penalty charges will kick in, please be aware there will be an extra fee.

She starts on about 'my client must come first', 'not their problem' 'such a large' [100 people max- we have done ones with 1000!] function, cannot be helped if off schedule. I nod, smile and reiterate 'I do understand- which is why we allow the client 30min extra time. Unfortunatly, the phase 2 charges will still apply, since we are now going over that time.' Off she goes.

2 min later her colleague storms in screaming her head off about how I can 'drop the attitude'. Also, I noticed, up popped 'Not my fault the cd wouldn't play' which seemed a blatent attempt to blame their poor timekeeping on us- I beg to differ, dear, that cd played in 3 systems I tested it on. What bugs me particularily is that she did this in front of my 2 dancers, who were not involved in any way and did not deserve such foul treatment. I believe I handled it ok, keeping calm and quietly re-explaining that it is not 'attitude', apologies if taken so, it is a troupe policy and clearly visible on the booking form, and that it is our policy also to mention it to clients when the time rolls near so they can choose I was impressed with my dancers too, as they kept very quiet and out of it. We also took pains to give their client a super performance, so they can have no recourse to say we didn't perform well.

I admit I have a very prim, proper and frankly British manner, in a country where that can often be seen as snobby. But I do my best to seem/be polite and have never had anyone else complain . Even so, I cant help but think her subsequant silly, childish and inappropriate action was so far out of line it is off the board. It did become clear early on that they were the sort who think that paying one's fee means they own you for the night.

I was more prissy over the charge then usual- we have let clients go past before- but she was already 'cheating' us on a small portion of the fee with that extra time gap, I had one dancer with another performance [scheduled in what should have been plenty time], and the other with a 5 thirty morning appointment the following morning I was trying to get her home for. I know the agent can't always help if the client is late- but isn't part of their job to control the function? To me they were dismissive/rude, lacked communication or any respect for us as performers, and If they were that stressed out by a relitivly small function, they were either new and inexperienced, or else bad at their job. And I feel they were given enough lee-way but at some point our schedule and terms must take precedent over their clients, whether the 'client is always right' or not.

But then again, I would, wouldn't I. What do you think? Would love to hear comments/ suggestions/how any of y'all would have handled?

Oh, not related but hardly helpfull to improving my mood with them- the audience was the sort that are 70% male and full of clever-jackass comments -hardly made me or my dancers feel super accomodating.

Personally - I would have stuck to the contract and just left if the party was falling behind. There is no reason that you have to put up with that type of behavior. I have a clause in my contract which states that I can leave at anytime if terms within my agreement are not met. And the client is charged the full price if I perform or not.

I would also have a talk with the agent. This is just too much..

Absolutely unacceptable!! This is what contracts are for. If the agent didn't like the terms, why did she sign it? If I were you I would have been more firm in the beginning with regards to the time gap and explain that your price was based on a 35 minute gap. It also gives you the opportunity to remind them of the overtime fees. But still, how totally unprofessional of them!

i agree with what has been said.
i know they will probably use your CD not working as an issue. you could always add a clause to your contract that in case of technical difficulties, ___ amount of credit is given. either in minutes or cash.

Originally Posted by Amira_Siddiqah

To me they were dismissive/rude, lacked communication or any respect for us as performers, and If they were that stressed out by a relatively small function, they were either new and inexperienced, or else bad at their job.

One of my favorite quotes is, "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part".

You were 100% right to stick to your guns. If they were to call you again for a gig, I'd turn them down flat. Some gigs just aren't worth it.

I am continually surprised at how little people actually read contracts before they sign them. This is not only in bellydance - I am a lawyer in my day job, and my retainer agreement CLEARLY states when additional fees will be due, but it never fails that clients are "surprised" and "had no idea" and "would have liked to have been told ahead of time" when I tell them that additional fees were due. Um, you did know ahead of time. That's why you signed a contract - so that you would know what to expect. I can't help it if you didn't actually READ what you were signing.

One habit I learned in my 15 years of professional selling is to schedule either a telephone conversation or an in-person meeting (whichever is more convenient) to go over the contract with the other person and make sure they fully understand the terms and conditions it contains.

Although I don't do this 100% of the time with belly dance gigs, the higher the stakes (amount of my time involved, amount of pay, etc.) the higher the priority it is to have this conversation, as early as possible.